peters



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

HQSIHALE.

SEAT.

Patented July 3 1883.

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(No Model.) .3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

H. S. HALE.

v SEAT. No. 280,740. Y I Patented July 3, 1883..

Fig 3.

7/; W I j: c \W t WW/ 7 G "IE/Mg 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Model.)

H. S. HALE.

SEAT.

112? gatented July 3, 1883..

NY PETERS Priowulhc n mr. Walhinglon, 0. (2V

To all whom it may concern:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY SNHALE, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

SEAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 280,740, dated July 3, 1883. Application filed February 1,1883. (No model.)

Be it known that I, HENRY S. HALE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Seats, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is aplan of my improved seat with the outer covering removed. Fig. 2 is a transverse vertical section of the same as appliedto an ordinary railroad-car seat. Fig. 3 is a bottom view of a fabric which I propose to use as an outer covering. Figs. 4, 5, 6, and 7 show modifications of one part of the invention. Fig. Sis a vertical transverse section, enlarged, of a seat containing my newly-invented fabric in connection with a covering composed of woven rattan. Fig. 9 is a vertical transverse section, enlarged, of a seat con taining the same fabric, in combination with an upholstering containing a stuffing of curled hair or other suitable fibrous material.

In the drawings, A A represent the legs,

and B the arm-rail, of an ordinary railroad-car seat.

O is the back, pivoted ateach end to the arm-rails by means of the brackets c.

D D are the front and rear rails, which are firmly attached to the legs, and thus constitute the frame-work upon. which the removable body of the seat is supported, and the construction of which I will now proceed" to describe. y,

In the drawings, E E are the side rails. F F are the end rails, these parts forming a substantially rectangular frame.

G G are cross-bars having their ends secured firmly to the side rails by screws or otherwise, and are by preference concave upon the upper surfaces. I

H H are springs, preferably three for each of the cross-bars, the lower convolution of each of the springs being secured to its respective cross-bar by means of staples, there being a cord or its equivalent interposed between the spring and the cross-bars, as is customary in seats of this general character.

h h are springs, which areshorter than those marked H H, and are placed upon the side rails, E E.

I is a thin metal strip arranged across the upper ends of the springs and on lines at right angles to the side rails, there being one strip for each series of springs, it beingunderstood that there are series of shorter springs H placed upon each of the end rails.

J represents a sheet of canvas placed above the metallic strips, and having its edges tacked to the upper edges of the side rails and end rails. While I prefer to'cmploy these metal strips arranged transversely of the seat, each strip being attached to the upper ends of all the springs in one row, yet I do not wish to be limited to such use, because many of the advantages of my invention may be derived without the introduction of these springs.

K K are thin sheets or veneers of wood on theupper surface of the canvas and secured firmly thereto by glue or other adhesive material. \Ve prefer to use these sheets in the form shown in plan view in Fig. lthat is to say, a narrow strip, K K, near each edge of the seat, of nearly the same length of the seat, with separate sections her placed between these side strips. In practice we prefer to use these intermediate sections of the form shown at k lc-that is to say, of such length as to cover the three longer springs H H, which are attached to one of the cross-bars E; but I do not wish to be restricted to such form, because they may be made square or round, as indi cated at k.

' L L represent stuffing or a layer of hair or other equivalent elastic fiber placed above the slats and canvas J.

To assist in retaining the hair in proper position at all times, I employ twinel Z, running in various directions above the canvas and attached thereto at various points, as indicated at Z Z, as is customary in this class of uphol- Istering.

M represents the outer covering,which may be made of plush, leather, or other suitable fabric extending over the top of the seat and down around the frame E F to such distance as may be thought desirable, and, when preferred, it may be tufted or otherwise connected with the canvas J, to insure its upper surface retaininga concave form corresponding substantially to that of the cross-bars G. In place of the hair and outer covering, M, I pro pose to use, under some circumstances, a compound fabric consisting of woven narrow strips of rattan glued to a sheet of canvas or other fibrous material. 111 practice wensually prefer to employ a sheet of canvas of the same size as the sheet of woven rattan; but under some circumstances we may use only sufficient canvas to form a border, as indicated at N, Fi 3; or, when preferred, small patches or re-enforcements may be used at the corners only, as indicated at O 0, same figure, to facilitate aproper manipulation of the material in properly bending it around the corners of the frame when applying it and tacking it in place. V'e prefer, however, to use at least enough canvas to re-enforce the entire edge of the sheet of woven rattan, in order to prevent it from unduly raveling when being applied to the seat or during the ordinary course of wear. The sizes, shapes, and relative arrangement of the wooden strips or veneers upon the canvas may be varied to suit the shape of the seat to which it is to be applied, as indicated in the drawings, the form which is shown in Fig. 5 being specially adapted for use in connection with the form of seat shown in my Patent No. 259,533, J rule 13, 1882. InFig. 6 Ihave shown aform which is adapted for use upon an ordinary chair, the seat of which is bounded by circular lines, while in Fig. 7 I have shown one which is more particularly adapted for a seat which is square in plan view.

A patent, No. 160,185, granted me February 23, 187.), shows narrow strips of wood arranged side by side in close contact with each other, and glued or otherwise cemented to a sheet of canvas, and I do not, of course, claim in this patent anything whicli was shown in my abovementioned former patent but the invention shown herein possesses many advantages over that shown in my former patent, among which are the following: The placing of the veneers or thin sheets of wood at some distance apart facilitates an independent upward and downward movement and a rocking movement of one part of the seat relative to an adjacent portion. Again, the margin of the canvas which projects around the outer edges of the wooden strips is adapted for being secured to the seat frame, which is specially desirable in the manufacture of seats, but which would have been, perhaps, objectionable for use in a bed-bottom. So, also, my improved fabric, consisting of a sheet of canvas of the proper size and form, combined with comparatively small pieces of veneer, secured to the canvas in such position that each piece is entirely surrounded by can "as, possesses special advantages when de signed for use in upholstering in which hair or other stuffing is to be employed, because the veneer furnishes a suitable support upon the top of the springs and the canvas facilitates properly securing the stuffing in place, either bytufting or stitching or bymea-ns of twinel I, which can be arranged to cross the seat in. various positions and be properly interlaced or knotted at the crossings, at each of which crossings it may be attached. to the canvas adjoining the veneers.

I do not claim, broadly, the use of twine for this purpose, because it has been frequently used in substantially the same manner in combination with canvas, without the detached pieces of veneer.

In Fig. 8 I have shown a seat containing the combination of my newly-invented canvas and veneer fabric with an outer cover or woven rattan, Q, substantially such as is commonly used for covering seats of similar character. In a seat constructed as shown in this figure the rattan should, by preference, have strips or squares of canvas applied thereto, as indicated in Fig. 3, to facilitate proper bending and folding of the rattan at the angles of the seat. Again, the application and holding in place of the outer covering, M, by tufting or otherwise attaching to the canvas J is made possible in the use of this invention.

In applying the sheets or strips of veneer to the canvas J, I usually first cut the canvas to the desired form, and then lay it upon a flat surface, then apply glue to either the under surface of the veneers or to the proper spots on the canvas, and then lay the veneers upon the canvas. Another sheet of canvas is laid upon the veneers, with a corresponding series of veneers upon it, and so on, building up a pile of them to the desired height, after which a weighted board or follower may be placed 011 top and the whole left to dry; or these parts may be placed in a press; or under some eircumstances I propose to apply the veneers in suitable position to a continuous .heet of can vas, which may be subsequently cut into pieces of the desired shape, this latter mode being especially adapted for use when making the construction shown in Figs. 4, .3, and 7.

I do not wish to be limited to the use of spiral springs in combination with the other elements of this seat, as springs of elliptical or other form might be advantageously employed.

I am aware that a fabric composed of woven rattan has been used in the upholstering of seats; but I believe that my combination of such a fabric with wooden slats or pieces of veneer and a canvas fabric possesses many advantages over any prior construction, because, among other things, the interposed wooden slats protect the cane against undue strai n and wear, and thus enable me to dispense with the employment of a ire-enforcing canvas, although I prefer to use one at the corners and also at the edges of the sheet of woven rattan, in order to prevent undue raveling, as above indicated.

Referring to Fig. 2,1 will describe devices which I employ to insure automatic shifting of the seat whenever the back is reversed.

At each end of the rectangular supportingframe, and to the under side thereof, I apply downwardly-projecting ribs P, or guides, having at each end a shoulder, p, and an inclined portion, 1). The space betwecnthe shoulders p p at each end of the seat is somewhat less than the distance between the frontand rear,

rails of the inain frame of the car-seat, and from an examination of Fig. 2 it will be readily understood that, when the seat-back is being reversed and its lower edge strikes the adjacent rear edge of the upholstered removable seat, said seat is thrust forward until the shoulders at the front edge of seatcome in contact with the inner edge of the front rail, thus rais ing the front edge of the seat and lowering its rear edge, which position has been found to be the more desirable one in practice. These downwardly-projecting guiding-ribs P P may be each made in a continuous piece extending from one edge of the seat to the other, as shown in the drawings; or the central portion of each may be omitted or dispensed with, they being cut off at the points indicated bydotted lines 00 m, Fig. 2.

I do not in thispatent claim any invention which is shown in my patent of December 30,

187 3, No. 146,065; but there are many features which distinguish the invention claimedherein from anything which is shown or described in. my said earlier patent. For instance, in that patent there is no upholstering, the material which forms the body of the seat and also the back consisting simply of a sheet of canvas of a width exactly equal to tlrelength of the strips of wood which are glued thereto, the strips being placed in close. contact with each other, thereby rendering it impossible to use it in any such manner as I use the combined fabric marked J K j k k, which forms the direct support for an upholstering material and is in direct contact therewith, such material resting upon the strips or sheets of veneer, and also upon the canvas on all sides of such veneer, except that perhaps a woven rattan cover will not be sufliciently flexible to be pressed down in contact with the canvas between all of the pieces of veneer; but whenever in this patent I speak of the upholstering being combined'with this compound fabric, and of being in contact with the veneer and the canvas upon all sides of the veneer, I mean that there is no canvas interposed between the veneers or the canvas J and the upholstering material, as is customary in that class of seats in which there is combined with the upholstering a sheet of canvas immediately below the upholstering, and then below that strips of sheets of veneer, and again below them a sheet of canvas above the springs, either with or without interposed metallic strips I. Again, in my earlier patents referred to it is impossible to attach twine (as a support for hair or other stuffing) to the canvas either at the ends of the strips of wood or between them, and hence with the construction shown in my earlier patent it is necessary to employ a sheet of canvas above the wooden strips as well as below, in order to use twine to support and keep in place the stuffing, as is customary in first-class upholstering-work.

WVhat I claim is- 1. The herein-described compound fabric for seats, consisting of thin sheets of wood combined with and cemented centrally to a sheet of fibrous fabric which extends on all .sides of the wood, and is thereby adapted to furnish a support for twine and other upholstering material around the entire edges of the wood, substantially as setforth.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a sheet of fibrous fabric made of proper form and di mensions to fit a seat-frame, and having one or more thin sheets of wood cemented centrally thereto, the fibrous material extending on all sides of the sheet of wood, and being thereby adapted to furnish a support for twine and other. upholstering material around the entire edges of the wood, substantially as set forth.

8. In a seat, the combination of a supporting-frame, a series of springs mounted thereon, a sheet of fibrous fabric above the springs, thin sheets of wood cemented centrally to the upper surface of the fibrous fabric, the fibrous material extending upon all sides of the wood, and a cover which rests directly upon the wood, substantially as set forth.

4. In a seat, the combination of a supporting-frame, a series of springs mounted thereon, asheet of fibrous fabric above the springs, thin sheets of wood cemented centrally to the upper surface of the fibrous material which extends on all sides of the wood, an outer covering, and an upholstering the stuffing of which is in contact with the sheets of wood, substantially as set forth.

5. In a seat, the combination of a supporting-frame, a series of springs mounted thereon, a sheet of fibrous material above the springs, thin sheets of wood cemented centrally to the canvas which extends upon all sides of the wood, an upholstering the stuffing of which is in contact with the sheet of wood, an outer covering, and a twinewhich is attached to the fibrous fabric below the sheets of wood and extending through the stuffing, substantially as set forth.

p In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY S. HALE.

\Vitnesses J. WVARREN HALE, CHAS. H. OTTERSON.

IIO 

